Sales & Merchandising Major Guide: Overview and RoEDU™ Opportunities 2025

The Sales & Merchandising major builds core foundations in this discipline and prepares students with practical, career-relevant skills. Use RoEDU™ to find programs that match your goals.

Within Marketing, students often explore key subfields and specializations that provide targeted expertise.

Graduates translate classroom knowledge into real-world impact across sectors through hands-on projects and internships.

As part of Marketing, this major connects to diverse, high-demand fields and interdisciplinary pathways.

Salary Outlook

Entry-level salary
$53,278

Typical starting pay soon after graduation.

Mid-career salary (10y)
$83,441

Estimated after a decade of experience.

Experienced salary (20y)
$111,077

Seasoned professionals at ~20 years.

Weighted median over last 5 years
CAGR 2.9%

CAGR (compound annual growth rate) summarizes average yearly change across the observed period.

Estimated lifetime earnings

40 years, present value
$2,092,132

Employment-weighted across mapped SOCs; entry ≈ 85% of median; historical CAGR shown for last 5y; projections capped at 3% CAGR; lifetime is 40-year present value at 3% discount.

Career Opportunities & Salaries

Data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024) • Median wages, employment, and growth projections

OccupationMedian WageTotal JobsGrowth RateEducation
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products
SOC: 41-4011
Occupation: Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products
$100,070
293,930
N/A
N/A
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
SOC: 41-1012
Occupation: First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
$84,130
219,010
N/A
N/A
Parts Salespersons
SOC: 41-2022
Occupation: Parts Salespersons
$37,440
265,060
N/A
N/A
Sales and Related Workers, All Other
SOC: 41-9099
Occupation: Sales and Related Workers, All Other
$46,370
99,070
N/A
N/A
Advertising Sales Agents
SOC: 41-3011
Occupation: Advertising Sales Agents
$61,460
97,470
N/A
N/A
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers
SOC: 41-1011
Occupation: First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers
$47,320
1,113,160
N/A
N/A

Historical Career Trends (2020-2024)

Historical data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020-2024) • Salary trends and employment growth over 5 years

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products

15.5%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$100,070293,930
2023$99,710311,780
2022$97,710290,830
2021$94,840266,160
2020$86,650288,150

First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers

7.1%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$84,130219,010
2023$84,570227,150
2022$82,850237,520
2021$79,680243,920
2020$78,560240,290

Parts Salespersons

15.3%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$37,440265,060
2023$36,860260,770
2022$35,800259,280
2021$34,260265,130
2020$32,460253,870

Sales and Related Workers, All Other

51.8%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$46,37099,070
2023$44,610114,280
2022$44,120119,490
2021$29,570235,740
2020$30,550153,180

Advertising Sales Agents

11.9%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$61,46097,470
2023$61,270108,100
2022$58,450106,560
2021$52,34096,660
2020$54,940110,040

First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers

13.8%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$47,3201,113,160
2023$46,7301,087,890
2022$45,2501,097,160
2021$39,2301,143,260
2020$41,5801,063,110

Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel

12.7%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$66,2601,189,330
2023$64,6001,142,020
2022$62,4001,075,750
2021$60,5501,026,390
2020$58,770977,070

Travel Agents

14.4%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$48,45059,150
2023$47,41058,250
2022$46,40053,180
2021$43,81037,190
2020$42,35055,180

Business Teachers, Postsecondary

10.5%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$97,27081,780
2023$97,13082,980
2022$88,79078,410
2021$94,36079,640
2020$88,01079,810

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products

7.6%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$66,7801,266,860
2023$65,6301,288,920
2022$63,2301,273,400
2021$61,6001,242,490
2020$62,0701,278,670

Colleges offering Sales & Merchandising

Bentley University

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$44k

Earnings

$89k

American Public University System

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$11k

Earnings

$61k

Manhattan College

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$29k

Earnings

$76k

Texas A & M University-College Station

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$22k

Earnings

$64k

Capella University

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$17k

Earnings

$70k

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